


Heartbreaker

by Talar



Category: American Vandal (TV)
Genre: BDE (Big Dumb Energy), Fake Dating, Five Fics In Still Don't Know How To Tag, M/M, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-14
Updated: 2019-01-14
Packaged: 2019-10-10 08:16:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,663
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17422235
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Talar/pseuds/Talar
Summary: Sam tries to do the right thing. He really, really does, even though he knows deep down inside that Gabi was right and that it's all wrong. But he liked being wrong once in a while. You can't be right without being dumb once or twice along the way, right?or:The Guys From American Vandal Are Dating And The Internet Is SHOOK





	Heartbreaker

**Author's Note:**

> okay so this fic had been sitting in my mind for a while and I'm so glad I finally stopped being the lazy ass I am and got to writing it!!! MAJOR thanks to the amazing Rachel (@petemaldonado on tumblr and also @petermaldonado here. can't hyperlink. I'm that girl from Vine who's afraid of technology) for beta reading this fic and for being super patient with my grammatical errors. YOU'RE THE BEST!!!! I hope you have a good day you're blessed  
> enjoy!!!!!

It was definitely not the first heartbreaking thing Sam had ever heard. He could clearly remember the pain in his chest when he learned the tooth fairy wasn't real, or when his dog died when he was a kid. Sam could recognize the feeling of this sudden emptiness, this coldness. He became familiar with the way he'd just freeze at bad news, his breath hitching almost as if he could graze his fingers over the soft cracks in his chest. That's how he felt at that very moment. Peter was standing right in front of him, his eyes shining brighter than the sun in the middle of the summer, and even though his proud-but-still-shy smile was enchantingly beautiful, Sam couldn't help but feel sick to his stomach.

_ It should've been me. _

"I'm so happy for you, Pete," Sam blurted out eventually, and he really was happy for him; Peter deserved it, he deserved every single good thing in the world. It was just that Sam was a selfish ass who couldn't help but dwell on his own emotions. "How did it even happen?"

Peter shrugged obliviously, still smiling. "I don't know, it just did. We were sitting there in calc and I said something that made him laugh, and I… I have no idea where the fuck I got the courage, dude, but I just asked if he had any plans tonight."

"That's so cool!" Sam told him, smiling as brightly as he could. Thank God for his acting abilities, the only thing saving him from storming off to cry somewhere quiet.

"Yeah," Peter replied. "So, we'll meet at Rosetta's at nine."

If Sam's heart wasn't already in a million pieces, scattered on Hanover's hallway's floor, it would break now once again. Not only the first guy he had ever really loved was going on a date with the douchiest of all douchebags, but he would also be doing it at Sam's workplace, in the middle of his fucking shift. He had no way to run. They'd sit there, Peter and that Nick guy, and they'd laugh and hold hands and kiss and do every single thing Sam had ever wanted to do with Peter. And he'd have to stand there and watch. How fucking great. It was almost as if someone up there was staring down at him and thinking, "Ha, that dude has to suffer. As if the Jews haven't suffered enough". He plastered his happiest smile on, trying his hardest to swallow down his tears. "Awesome, man. I’ll be there to make sure it doesn't suck."

"Thanks, Sam. Really. You have no idea how much it means to me, and… I don't know, I'm just glad you have my back."

And with that, Sam knew he couldn't do it anymore. He smiled so wide it hurt his cheeks and finger-gunned his best friend, leaving as quickly as he could, almost as if the floor was literally made of lava.

Chillest experience ever.

Sam spent the hours before his shift at Rosetta's by laying on his bed, staring at his Instagram feed mindlessly, re-reading the comments on his latest picture. Ever since Vandal, the number of compliments he'd received on every picture had risen to thousands, from people all over the world. He really needed that sweet validation juice. He had his low moments, that for sure, but no low moment compared to the shitshow in his brain at that very moment.

When the clock hit four, Sam left for work. Rosetta's was a small café in the middle of Oceanside and was exactly what you'd imagine when thinking about hipsters. It was filled with plants everywhere and pictures of landscapes, and its lights were almost always dimmed. It had soft indie music playing on the stereo, which usually made Sam calm. Today, however, he was on edge. Emily, who was probably the most empathetic person Sam had ever met, sensed something was wrong and helped every single annoying client Sam was supposed to help.

And honestly, working with his Work Gals, Emily and Allison, almost made him forget about Peter's upcoming date. They prompted him to dance to the shitty music whenever customers weren't looking, they ranted about whatever came to their mind and made the dumbest puns. 

Time went by quickly with them by his side, so when Allison entered the break room to tell him his  _ boyfriend _ is here, he was a little bit surprised.

"He can wait," Sam murmured bitterly, and Allison huffed. "My break just started."

"Oh. Okay," she said, leaving the break room.

Sam's heart was racing, and he was never this afraid to face his best friend. He was tapping his foot constantly, trying to close his eyes and try to allow the music in the café to take over his thoughts. Obviously, it failed. There was nothing in the universe that could make him stop thinking about how Peter must be laughing at Nick's jokes, or the way the dimmed lights cast a long shadow of Peter's eyelashes on his cheekbones, or the way Nick will probably kiss him at the end of the date. Sam felt miserable. All he wanted was to go home and sleep until Peter will inevitably forget about that stupidly hot Nick guy.

Only that, when his break was over at eight thirty, Peter was still sitting on his own.

The chair in front of him hadn't even been moved, and Peter kept gazing back and forth between his phone and the menu. He was sitting straighter than ever, trying to gather back every piece of pride he has left. Sam knew him well enough to know how devastated he probably was. Seeing his favorite person ever  _ this _ sad made his heart clench. But Nick wasn't that stupid, Sam assumed, to give the best dude at Hanover up.

Emily was staring at Peter pitifully. "Should I ask him again if he wants to order anything?" she asked Allison quietly. "This is just, fuck, this is so damn sad."

Allison shrugged. "I don't think that's a good idea, Em. He's been stood up on, no need to make the whole thing more embarrassing for him than it already is, y'know?" she asked, and 

Emily nodded.

Then, Sam decided that it was enough. "Um, actually," he joined their conversation. "He's waiting for me. I told him my shift ends at nine, but he probably got that wrong. He finally had the courage to ask me out, so, yeah. He's stressed out. Sorry I lied to you guys, we just wanted to keep it lowkey."

Emily squeaked. "Oh my God! Sammy!" She called quietly, hugging him. "I'm so happy for you two! I was so tired of watching you two trying to pretend you're not in love on the morning show. It was awkward." She added, and Allison nodded along.

"Actually, since I'm the shift supervisor and I can, I'll allow you to clock out now." Allison said. "What wouldn't I do for young love. Ugh, I'm living my dreams through you."

Sam laughed and thanked her, definitely not noticing the teen at table 3 live-tweeting the whole thing. "Thanks. Love you. I'm off to my date now," he said, heading back to the break room to clock out. He would never,  _ ever _ , let his best friend go through this much humiliation on his own. He didn't deserve that much shit in one day. Sam took his apron off and shoved it in his bag, rushing out to Peter.

From up close, Peter seemed even sadder. For the second time that day, Sam felt heartbroken. It wasn't fucking fair.

Peter looked up at him with those miserable eyes of his, trying to seem okay. "He’s not gonna show up, right?" he whispered, and Sam shook his head.

"He won't, but I have." Sam sighed, sitting at the chair opposite Peter's. "I told Allison and Emily we're on a date, so, like, go along with it."

"You said what?" Peter blinked at him.

Sam rolled his eyes. "Pete, man. You're sitting alone at a candlelit table you booked beforehand. Of course it's a date."

"Legit." Peter let out a breath he'd been holding.

"Good. You owe me a dessert."

 

* * *

Sam woke up the next day to his phone ringing.

He'd answer. He really would, if he wasn't so damn tired. His fake date with Peter went on for almost three hours, and it wasn't a school night. He planned to sleep for twelve hours at least. He waited for his phone to stop ringing so he could go back to sleep, but when it stopped eventually, he couldn't fall asleep again.

He sat up lazily, grabbing his phone from his dresser to see he had 158 new messages and almost a dozen unanswered calls from both Peter and Gabi. Something bad was happening.

He opened the messages from Gabi first, because something in his chest told him she was the best person to explain to him what the fuck was going on. He was completely right.

Her first message was a link to a Buzzfeed article, titled "These Two American Vandal Stars Are Dating And The Internet Is SHOOK". Her second one was her ranting about finding out about it from Buzzfeed, and the third was her telling him she's calling.

There are moments in life you know you royally fucked up, and, for Sam, this was definitely one of those.

He clicked on the article which contained a twitter thread by a girl named Kelley. There, she tweeted everything that happened last night, from Peter sitting on his own up until Sam told Emily and Allison they're dating. She even took a video of their conversation, just to prove everyone she's not lying. Then, the article showed various reactions from people online, the majority of which were congratulating them on their relationship.

Sam would be lying if he said it didn't make his heart race. It was almost as if he was peeking through the glass into his dream life. He had this huge crush on Peter for way too long now, and it wasn't like he wasn't trying to let him know. He'd always lean in too close, would have his hand linger for too long on Peter's arm when talking to him. Once, about a week before they started shooting the second season of Vandal, he even sat down with Peter and told him he loved him. Sam was so stressed about it, but Peter being Peter thought it was a friendly kind of love so he told him he loved him too and forgot all about it. This article made him think about how his life would've looked like if that conversation went the way Sam had hoped it had.

But this whole thing was just wrong. Pretending to date Peter to save him from embarrassment was an impulsive decision, even though he still stands behind it. He didn't think it all the way through, and he definitely didn't want to make Peter uncomfortable. So, when Peter called him moments later, Sam started the conversation with an apology.

"It's fine," Peter assured him, but his tone indicated how far from fine it all was. "We need to talk, though. Do some damage control. Can you come over?"

"Yeah, yeah, sure. I'll be there in ten. I'm so, so sorry."

Peter was the first to hang up, which wasn't very Peter of him. He'd always let the other person decide when conversations were over, and he was always eager to listen to whatever the person had to say. This time, it was as if he couldn't wait for Sam's voice to fade away. Sam wasn't sure if he can take another heartbreak.

In thirteen minutes, Sam was sitting with Peter in his room. "So," Peter began. "We have this thing now."

"Yeah," Sam said quietly.

"The way I see it, we have a few options. We can go publicly against it and say that's a lie-"

"But that girl on Twitter filmed me saying you asked me out."

"Yeah," Peter nodded thoughtfully, "So that's not very realistic. We could ignore it and just pretend it never happened, but that would probably come off as pathetic. We could also say the truth, but… yeah, I'm not really into that option."

Sam sighed desperately, avoiding Peter's gaze. "Is there any other option?"

Peter took a long breath. "We can go along with it."

Sam's neck hurt from how fast he raised his head to look straight into his best friend's eyes. "Wait. Pause, rewind, play again. What did you say?"

"We can go along with it," Peter said again. "Just for a short while. We can pretend we're dating, make it very public, and then fake a breakup but say we're still friends. That's the only rational way around it I can see."

Sam thought it over for a moment. Rationally, he knew it was a terrible idea. Worst idea ever. But how can he refuse such an offer? Even though pretending to date the guy you love is an awful idea, it was probably the closest he could ever get to actually dating him. Wasn't that what he had always wanted? And besides, Peter was right. They had no other way.

Sam shrugged. "Yeah, okay. That makes sense. I'm in."

Peter sighed in relief. "Oh. Okay." He nodded, deep in thought. "I think that to make it work, we need to create some kind of schedule. When to post what, how much of it are we showing, for how long are we doing it. We should also create, like, a story? I guess?"

"We're friends, you asked me out, we're dating now. Cool story, dude."

"Babe. You call me babe from now on."

 

* * *

The following day at school, things were equally as usual and as new as can be. Peter drove Sam to school, like every other morning, but today when they walked into the building Peter's hand gently slipped into Sam's. At first Sam breath hitched. It was new, but somehow, it felt completely natural. Whenever they walked together Peter's hand would softly slip into his, and when they sat next to each other, Sam's head would find its place in the space between Peter's head and his shoulder. They'd call each other babe, and while he had no clue how honest Peter's babes were, Sam knew his were truer than anything he had ever said.

People would stare at them. A lot. The rumor about their relationship was pretty much everywhere, so them being all touchy was a big deal around Hanover. Sam tried to ignore the looks they'd been getting, but he knew Peter wasn't taking it well. He could feel Peter stiffen, his gaze turning cold and distant whenever anyone made a comment about them being a great couple. Sam couldn't help but wonder; Is Peter's worried about lying or about being Sam's boyfriend?

Whenever Peter would close himself off that way, Sam would breath in deep and smile as brightly as he could, thanking people politely. The majority of those comments came from people he spoke to, like, twice. It was awkward, but with great success comes great awkwardness which Sam was more than willing to deal with.

Those moments, though, when everyone would leave and it would be just him and Peter, it took longer than what would be considered appropriate for them to break apart. They didn't talk about it, trying to not make things weird, but they both felt the tension of Peter's hand rubbing soft circles on Sam's palm or Sam's breath on Peter's neck. Sam rationally knew that Peter does it just in case anyone shows up and might suspect this is all fake, and that trying to make himself believe they were actually dating was a huge mistake.

When Gabi came over the next weekend, Sam started to wonder if it was  _ too _ bad of a mistake. She sat on his bed, allowing him to rest his head on her thighs as they were both staring at nothing important on their phones.

"I'm worried about you." Gabi said suddenly.

"About me? Why?"

"The whole Peter situation." She sighed, running her hands through his hair. "It seems like you're taking it all too seriously-"

"No, I’m not," Sam stated defensively.

Gabi rolled her eyes. "Yeah, you are. I can see how happy it makes you, and don't take it the wrong way, but it's the wrong kind of happiness. It won't end well if you'll keep taking it all so seriously."

Sam, being the disaster he is, decided the best possible response was giving her a thumbs up. "Sure." He said, trying not to think too much about it. Sam knew deep down inside that Gabi was right and that it was all wrong, but he liked being wrong once in a while. You can't be right without being dumb once or twice along the way, right?

But three weeks in, Sam realized how bad of a mistake it was.

He and Peter decided to leave sappy comments on each other's posts daily, and post pictures of one another at least once a week. They also posted stories together on Instagram, trying their hardest to seem as adorable as they can. People would notice their presence as a couple on social media, Buzzfeed did a whole segment on "10 Times Sam And Peter From American Vandal Were The Cutest Couple Ever", and it seemed like a smart thing to do.

Three weeks in, they had their weekly movie night, and It was Sam's turn to choose a film. Obviously, he chose Sharpay's Fabulous Adventures, and Peter offered to take a video for his story before it began. After Sam stated he was cool with it, he took his phone out and looked straight to the selfie camera.

"I just wanted to let you all know that my boyfriend is now making me watch Sharpay's Fabulous Adventures for the billionth time-"

"You love it, asshole." Sam interrupted.

Peter went silent for a moment. "Yes, I do. Almost as much as I love you, babe."

Sam wasn't ever this happy about not being in the frame. His whole body went still, and his eyes widened. Peter said it. Peter said he loved him, and it sounded genuine. In fact, it sounded drastically better than anything he had ever imagined. Nothing Sam had ever heard made him feel like he was on fire, but Peter's "I love you" totally did.

This was way,  _ way _ beyond the thing Sam could cope with.

"I can't do it anymore." He blurted out. His blood was boiling, and he didn't even know who was making him angry anymore. Was it Peter who took it all so easily or he himself who couldn't fucking go along? "I can't. I just can't."

"What?" Peter asked. "What's wrong?"

"Are you blind?" Sam snapped. "Are you blind or have I done something so fucking terrible to you that I  _ must _ go through this?"

"Sam…" Peter started softly. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Sam laughed bitterly. "Sure you don't. You're the fancy documentarian, Pete, but you're so fucking oblivious."

"Can you please use actual words?"

"Did you have to say that you love me?"

"Sam-"

"That was way off limits, Pete." Sam declared, standing up and starting to gather his things. "Calling me babe is one thing. Holding my hand is one thing. Lying and telling me you love me is another thing completely."

Peter was silent again. He was staring directly at the floor, thinking his words over. "Who said I was lying?"

"You." Sam shot back. "I've been trying to let you know I like you for years, and you never seemed to notice. Fuck, Peter. I told you I loved you. You laughed and said, what's the big fucking deal, I love you too, you're my best friend. And then… God! Then you tell me you want us to fake date and now you love me? When? How? I don't deserve that crap, Pete, you can't just manipulate me for being in love with you. That's not-"

In his whole life, Sam had never seen anyone move as quickly. In moments Peter rose from the couch and gently grabbed Sam's forearm, pulling him close. "I wasn't lying." Peter whispered. "I wasn't."

Sam could feel Peter's breath mix with his, their mouths almost touching. He blushed as Peter's hand reached up to softly cup his face and looked at him so closely, almost as if it was the very first time he saw him.  A gentle "oh" escaped Sam's lips. Peter's eyes were locked unto his, and ever so slowly, he started pulling Sam in. Their lips met a moment later.

It was nowhere near how Sam had imagined it. There were no fireworks, no taste of mint or cotton candy. The kiss was awkward, neither of them knew what to do with their hands or their tongues and Peter's glasses smashed into Sam's face, but it was perfect. Nothing screams Sam And Peter like awkward kisses and a shockingly fast heartbeat. Peter's hand rested in Sam's gelled up hair, ruining it completely, but Sam couldn't care less. They were here and now, and nothing could ever ruin it. Not even the fact they missed most of Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure’s killer opening sequence.

They parted eventually, their foreheads resting against one another. "I'm sorry it took me so long," Peter whispered.

"You should be, babe. I'm a catch."

Peter laughed a little quietly. "I thought you didn't feel the same way I did, so I asked Nick out. That was dumb, but I guess I was trying to make you jealous."

"You asshole. It worked." Sam couldn't help but smile a little. "You're a heartbreaker, Pete."

"Can I try to put it back together, though?"

"I'll go out on a limb here and say you already did."

 

**Author's Note:**

> as always, hmu on tumblr @oiveyzmir (still can't hyperlink. still afraid of technology) for more shitty content!!! insert purple heart emojis here


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